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Post by stevestewart on Mar 22, 2007 18:18:12 GMT
Hello all, I am just testing the new ICPS forum and thought I would post a few Nepenthes madagascariensis photographs. Oddly I am trying to post three photos, and the one of the paniculate male inflorescence refuses to post for me. (at least in the preview window) Any ideas why a photograph would refuse to post? I attempted reloading the file from a disk and made several attempts here on this forum. The photograph seems to load into the photobucket site without any problems This species of Nepenthes seems to like to become dry in between waterings to grow best from my experience here in Florida. I grew this plant in long fibered Sphagnum, and it flowered every spring in a greenhouse. [img src=" i177.photobucket.com/albums/w213/bical1/th_Nep-2.jpg"] [/img] Take care, Steven Stewart
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Clint
Full Member
Posts: 808
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Post by Clint on Mar 22, 2007 18:24:20 GMT
Welcome! I could never get it to do anything for me. It didn't die it just didn't do anything. Excellent pictures!
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Post by Michael Catalani on Mar 22, 2007 20:22:46 GMT
Nice photo Steven!
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Post by ludwig on Mar 23, 2007 4:55:39 GMT
Steven I have always liked that species but haven't attempted it...would you rate it fairly easy?
As far as your photos, some robots hate special characters and spaces (including underscores) in file names...does your file have anything but alphanumerics? Try renaming the file with just a single syllable word (if you haven't already). Otherwise, I couldn't think of any other reason it won't display here.
(I notice your 2 thumbnails contain dashes and underscores but the full images don't. Try to place full-image URL's in between the IMG tags...this should work with your photo).
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Post by stevestewart on Mar 23, 2007 11:01:35 GMT
Thanks all,
ludwig, thanks for the info on posting! I consider N. madagascariensis an easy species, but for me it is the "cactus" of the genus. (though a cactus would not do well in Sphagnum) . It must become dry between waterings or it gets weak. Steve
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Post by phissionkorps on Mar 24, 2007 3:41:42 GMT
I just acquired this species a few days ago. Looks like it arrived with some bug damage though . Steve, if you have any other tips for growing this species, it would be greatly appreciated. The reason I purchased it is because I heard some folks talking about how they felt it a difficult species, and so I figured I'd give it a try
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Post by stevestewart on Mar 24, 2007 12:42:20 GMT
phissionkorps,
I think few growers have successfully grown and flowered this species due to over watering it. This also poses a problem because it will lose pitchers if allowed to stay dry too long. Young plants can be grown in peat, and don't seem to mind moist conditions.
I always used live Sphagnum as a top dressing and determined that if the live Sphagnum looked healthy, the plants were too wet, while if the live moss was barely alive, the media was just right. I never grew a plant in any larger than a 6"/ 15cm pot. I grew my plants in hanging pots in the same environmental conditions as N. bicalcarata. (hot and humid)
Sphagnum moss is also a problem when treated in this manner. If you have used it, you know that it breaks down rapidly when allowed to go from wet to dry, leaving pockets of air that will cause death to the root system, unless continually checked for sufficient compaction.
Some different growing media may prove superior to Sphagnum for N. madagascariensis to overcome it's wet/dry requirements. I never had success with the mature plants in peat mixes I used because they remained wet for too long during cloudy/wet weather conditions.
Hope this helps, Steve
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Post by phissionkorps on Mar 26, 2007 3:48:44 GMT
I wonder how it would do in orchid bark or cedar mulch. They seem to dry out on a pretty regular scale (3 days or so) and don't seem to be able to become too wet, since the water drains so rapidly.
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Post by stevestewart on Mar 26, 2007 18:47:00 GMT
Phissionkorps,
I have only used Sphagnum, hopefully other growers will have more experience with other media. If you can find small plants at one of the big retail outlets, it might be worth trying several plants in different mixes.
Steve
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Clint
Full Member
Posts: 808
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Post by Clint on Mar 26, 2007 19:07:10 GMT
I MIGHT get a few babes still in the flask. Wish me luck! if anyone has any other tidbits, please post!
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Post by Dave Evans on Apr 24, 2007 7:45:01 GMT
Dear Clint, This species likes it hot. As an experiment, I was treating mine like highlanders for the last year, and they did not like it one bit. After a while, they just stopped growing and the new leaves were mis-shapen... Placed into the lowland area, they recovered in about six weeks and have put out a new round of pitchers, which I haven't seen in about nine months. Warm and hot temperatures is what this species prefers. I have found that Nepenthes which like drier soils do great in tall pots. The root systems have the room to decide where it wants to be based on your conditions. Also, Nepenthes in general, love fine perlite. Good growing, Dave Evans I MIGHT get a few babes still in the flask. Wish me luck! if anyone has any other tidbits, please post!
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Post by sunbelle on Apr 24, 2007 14:14:27 GMT
Hey Steve, Bob McMorris has/had a huge madagascarensis in his greenhouse, and it flowered regularly. It would vine up into the rafters where the temperature was easily 100 degrees F every day during the summer. I recall it was a female, and nearly impossible to get to the flowers without a ladder.
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Post by stevestewart on Apr 25, 2007 19:31:31 GMT
Trent,
Bob has told me how he flowered his huge N. madagascariensis female. The second thumbnail I posted is of a young, flowering sized plant. I wish now that I had taken more photos of the flowers. It seems uncommon to have seen any pictures, or heard of growers flowering this species. My one picture of the male inflorescence is not very good. Bob Ziemers' Humbolt cp photofinder site shows a beautifully cutivated plant in flower, but I can't tell the gender from the photos.
Take care, Steve
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Post by endodoc on Apr 27, 2007 13:11:02 GMT
Thanks for this thread, I have a few N. madagascariensis and all have failed or in the process of failing; I was ready to throw the whole bunch of them out before I read the cultural info, I will try several different media and let the forum know my results Regards Ed
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Post by nepsaroundthehouse on Apr 29, 2007 13:22:16 GMT
Oddly I grow my 2 madagascariensis plants outdoors as highlanders and not by choice. I just tried it and they are hanging in there. My bigger plant is flowering right now. It probably would do better in lowland conditions but I can't provide that so it seems to be doing alright outdoors.
Joel
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